Bedfordshire was among 66 areas to commence a three year Local Area Agreement (LAA) from April 2006. This is a vitally important opportunity for agencies to work together more effectively to deliver better services to people in Bedfordshire.

The County Council is working closely with the Borough / Districts, Health, Police, Fire, the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS), central Government and others to agree how we can jointly deliver improved services that matter most to citizens and communities.

The LAA sets out outcomes that we are delivering for the people of Bedfordshire. Some of the highest priority targets carry a cash incentive known as Performance Reward Grant (PRG), which is worth around £11m if targets are met. The LAA framework also gives us the opportunity to negotiate enabling measures with Government, to cut through the bureaucracy, and so makes joined-up local service delivery easier.

Our LAA is structured around four themes:

• Children & Young People
• Safer & Stronger Communities
• Healthier Communities & Older People
• Economic Development & Enterprise